The Fourth's Legacy
by Loverofallfiction
Summary: The Konoha citizens thought they knew everything about Naruto. He's obnoxious with no measurable talent whatsoever. During the Chunin exams, preconceived ideas about Naruto are proven wrong when it's revealed that Naruto is a girl. This story explores Naruto's life afterward as she learns what being the Child of Prophecy truly means. Canon Divergence Slow Fem!Naru/Kakashi
1. Prologue: Breaking Misconceptions

Hello everyone! I'm sorry for this long author's note in the beginning of this story, but it's imperative that I get a couple of points across. You may have heard of the story _The Fourth's Legacy._ It was first published under the username estrellaskies in 2012. Well, that person was me before my account got hacked and some fun stuff happened afterwards. I wasn't happy, and I walked away from all of my stories because I had no backups. I recently found my notes and decided to restart this story. Now that I have more experience as a writer in general, I'm confident that this story is better than when I first published this in highschool. I wanted to give a shout out to Akira-chaan. I don't know if she ever finished her story called _Legacy_ , but she was a good sport and took my challenge a long time ago. I still need to find her story when I have time and check it out to see how it ended up. Please, read her story when you have a chance. It was brilliant when I checked a few years ago.

As for the story itself, nothing romantically will happen between Naruto and Kakashi until the Shippuden arc. This will be very slow burn to make it believable because of the long character development until that point, hence the Naruto/Neji pairing in the beginning. This story will be angsty as hell, and some characters may die earlier than canon. I hate copying things so I changed most of the events.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Without further ado, I present to you the first chapter of rewritten _The Fourth's Legacy. **Edited 8/16/2016**_

* * *

"Fang Over Fang!" Kiba yelled to his furry companion.

Akamaru barked and went into formation, turning into a splitting image of Kiba. The pair turned into a spiraling tornado, making their way towards Yoroi. The sound ninja dodged the attack and avoided being drilled to death.

Naruto was impressed as she watched the fights. The participants of the Chunin exams were talented. Despite her friend participating in this round, Naruto found it hard to pay attention to the fight. Even Sakara's wasn't spared from her inattention.

From the concerned eyes of Neji, Iruka, and even Kakashi, her disinterest was evident. Hell, Kakashi surprised her because he didn't care about her before. Why break the tradition? She shook her head to get her mind off the one-eyed ninja and back to her previous thoughts.

She was unnerved from her encounter with the Sannin Orochimaru. His unnatural ability to stretch his long tongue wasn't on her mind. Although, it was creepy to think about. Her fight with him was interesting. Her mind drifted off to the memory as Kiba and Yoroi resorted to hand to hand combat.

 _Naruto glared at the Snake Sannin, who evaded her blows. She wanted to knock that damn smug smirk from his face. After engaging in combat with him for fifteen minutes, he had yet to lift up his hands and perform a single Jutsu. He was toying with her, testing her limits. The thought fueled her anger because he didn't see her as a threat. With a yell, she put her fingers together to summon fifty shadow clones, hoping at least one would deliver a blow._

 _His calculating gaze showed he was waiting for something. What the Sannin wanted, she didn't know._

" _I expected more from you, Naruto-chan." Naruto's eyes widened at his acknowledgement. "I had hoped you would be able to use my gift that I had graciously given to you."  
_

" _What're you talking about? I'm sure I would remember if I had met you before. You're kind of hard to forget," Naruto mocked. She grunted when Orochimaru caught her fist in his hand._

" _I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I raised you for three years. You simply can't remember this fact," he said with mock sadness._

Things went to hell after his words. Sasuke jumped into the clearing, trying to save the day with his fancy new Jutsu Kakashi taught him. Sasuke overestimated his abilities and ended up getting a nasty looking bite from Orochimaru.

Naruto let out a heavy sigh, remembering why she was uncomfortable replaying the events of the Forest of Death. Naruto's real gender was kept secret after she was found outside Konoha's gates when she was seven. Sarutobi assaulted her with questions about her whereabouts, since she reappeared after a three year absence from the village. Her sole memory was waking up, and she obtained a new ability of speaking with the Kyuubi no Kitsune or Karuma. The events were a mystery, for Kurama couldn't remember what happened when she asked him.

Her fingers ran through her blond hair. Did Orochimaru played a role in her kidnapping? His words implied that he did. If so, she had him to thank for Sarutobi-jiji placing a seal on her body, concealing her gender. The old Hokage was under the impression that being a boy would keep her safe. His precaution had no effect. The villagers still treated her like a pariah. Her thoughts were interrupted by her name being called.

"Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha," Hayate repeated.

Her inattention to the matches besides Kiba's, Sakura's, and Bushy Brows' made her forget that she still needed to fight. To her luck, Sasuke didn't get paired with anyone else either.

Naruto plastered a big grin on her face, jumping over the railing of the balcony to get into the arena. She had hoped to fight the Uchiha at this tournament. She wanted to be seen as an equal in his eyes.

"Ready to end this, dobe?" Sasuke asked, his lips upturned.

No matter the situation, Sasuke was arrogant and overconfident in his abilities. Was this fight even fair? Sasuke's curse mark hindered his abilities if he didn't want to activate it. Sasuke's haughty demeanor was a facade to hide his brief handicap. Naruto was polite enough not to remind him of this fact.

"You wish. I won't lose to you. When I beat you, you will concede that I'm a competent ninja. Believe it!" Naruto said gesturing to her puffed out chest with her thumb in an exaggerated manner and earning a snort from the Uchiha.

"In your dreams. You will always be a loser in my eyes," he paused, taking in his surroundings and observing the spectators before returning his dark gaze to Naruto."After I beat you, everyone present here today will see how much of a loser you are as well."

It took all of Naruto's self-control to not let her carefree facade drop into a pout. Sasuke was trying to rile her up. She wasn't petty enough to exchange words. Her actions will show Sasuke and all the ninjas present that she was deserving to be a Chunin.

As soon as Hayate said "Hajime," Sasuke was on Naruto. She had to lift up her arm to absorb his punch, starting an impromptu Taijutsu sparring match. The duo were equal in strength. Sasuke became bored after they exchanged blows for minutes before bringing out his kunai, forcing Naruto to bring hers out.

She met each of his blows. The kunai clanged upon impact, echoing across the arena. Despite her bouts of recklessness, she followed Sasuke's every move. His Sharingan was a problem, and she wanted to tire him out first before taking action.

Not that she could do much, the sole Jutsu in her arsenal was the Shadow Clone Jutsu. She didn't know how long they were fighting. Sasuke's shoulders were slumping.

The sight made Naruto smile at her tired opponent. The only thing left to do was ending this fight.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto yelled, summoning a hundred shadow clones to engage Sasuke.

Some of the clones' blows managed to hit the Uchiha, but he used a Fireball Jutsu to dispel many of them. Naruto didn't waste any time to replenish her supply of clones to continue her relentless assault with her Uzumaki Barrage.

"U-" A clone yelled as it landed a punch on his face. Naruto jumped on the clone's back and projected herself into the air. She began to spin, giving her body momentum for her part in the technique.

"Zu-" Another clone said after kicking Sasuke in the back.

"Maki-" Another clone uppercutted Sasuke into the air so that Naruto could kick Sasuke back down.

 _I got this,_ Naruto thought, descending from the air.

"Barrage!" She yelled, bringing her foot down to land the final blow on Sasuke's head.

Before her foot landed, Sasuke caught her leg and threw her against a wall. Her eyes winced as pain seared on her back. She groaned when she fell on the ground. Her arms protested, shaking as she lifted up her body. She grunted at the sudden strength Sasuke possessed. Her eyes widened at the change in Sasuke's appearance. Black marks covered his body and his right eye was a bright yellow.

" _What the-"_

" **I feel it too, Kit. That seal is giving the** _ **Uchiha**_ **an unnatural amount of chakra,** " Kurama interrupted, his tone laced with distaste. He hated Uchihas, and the way he spat out "Uchiha" reminded her of how he viewed her friend.

Naruto frowned as Sasuke grasped his arm, his back hunched. The air started to crackle, and the hairs on her arm stood up from the built up electricity in the air.

"Sasuke, stop!" Kakashi yelled from the balcony.

Naruto matched Sasuke's murderous glare. Kakashi's command was ignored as the Chidori expanded. Naruto had never seen the Chidori in action, since Sasuke was unsuccessful in using it. If Kakashi was riled up, then the Jutsu was dangerous. Sasuke was willing to kill her if it guaranteed his place in the finals. She didn't know if it was the cursed mark making him vindictive or desperation.

"If you interfere, Kakashi, both students will get disqualified." Hayate warned.

Naruto scoffed at Kakashi wanting to interfere. If he cared, he wouldn't have taught Sasuke the damn Jutsu in the first place. Kakashi found out about Gaara entering the exams beforehand. The revelation warranted Sasuke the ability to be trained by Kakashi. The month before the exams started, Kakashi took Sasuke aside and taught him the Jutsu, leaving herself and Sakura with Ebisu.

Naruto shook her head, bringing herself back to the present. She could yell at Kakashi about his unfairness and incompetence after the fight. She had to worry about not dying by the lightning that manifested around Sasuke's arm. She braced herself as Sasuke ran towards her. She dodged each of his strikes that tried making contact with her body.

 _I can't get close to him. That stupid Chidori is making me be on the defensive,_ Naruto thought with a pant.

The longer the fight dragged out, the more her body fatigued. A hard surface prevented her from jumping backwards. Her eyes widened, realizing she backed into a wall. She didn't have time to dodge. Sasuke grin grew triumphant as his arm descended towards her. Her eyes closed when he made contact with her chest. The Jutsu burned, and the unbearable pain caused her to scream.

She heard Kakashi uncharacteristically curse. Gai muttered something about Sasuke being unyouthful. Many people were calling to end the match so that she could receive medical attention.

" **Hold on, Naruto. I got you!"**

Kurama's voice was a godsend in her situation. Throughout the years, they became fast friends. Naruto felt a massive amount of chakra flood her being, and the familiar chakra forming a cloak around her. Her eyes started to burn. When she opened them, she could see Sasuke's aura.

" _What's going on?_ " Naruto was looking at both Kurama and Sasuke. Whatever happened to her eyes allowed her to see in multiple planes.

The crowd began to go crazy.

"I didn't know the Uzumaki clan had a Kekkei Genkai," someone muttered.

"Naruto has a dojutsu?" Another person asked.

Many more questions were asked, but Naruto had a hard time singling them out. The spectators began to speak animatedly with each other at the turn of events. Naruto pleaded with her eyes for Kurama to help her make sense of the situation.

Kurama's eyes widened before narrowing. " **Now we know what that snake bastard did to you. No time to explain. All that matters is getting the Uchiha off you. I don't know how much more chakra I can give you, since your seal is keeping me at bay**."

" _How do you suppose I do that? It's kind of hard to ignore Sasuke's hand in my chest,"_ Naruto said, her eyes wincing from the unbearable pain.

 **"Just grab his hand and pull his chakra into you."**

How can one absorb chakra? She didn't think this topic was covered in the academy, or she may have missed it while she was sleeping on her desk.

" _I don't think it's that simple,"_ Naruto said.

" **Trust me, brat. I know how your eyes work,** " Kurama snarked.

Naruto didn't have to look at her companion to know he was rolling his eyes at her. She turned her attention back to Sasuke, and his grin was manic. The bastard believed he was winning. Well, she decided to trust Kurama in this situation. She grabbed Sasuke's Chidori arm with her free hand that wasn't blocked by Sasuke's body.

 _Here goes nothing,_ Naruto thought, pulling on Sasuke's chakra.

The Chidori started to flicker before dissipating. Naruto could feel Sasuke's chakra enter her system. Absorbing chakra felt almost intoxicating. Sasuke jumped away to stop Naruto from stealing his chakra. Sasuke's eyes widened after noticing Naruto's change.

"A dojutsu? How on earth did a dobe like you get one?" Sasuke asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Naruto said, feeling Kurama's chakra healing the spot where the Chidori hit.

With a snarl, Sasuke ran towards her with his kunai drawn. He began slicing at her with less finesse than usual. Naruto brought her kunai up to protect her face from Sasuke's frantic swing. They reached a stalemate when both kunais crossed. Her arm shook as Sasuke leaned forward, trying to get the upper hand. Sasuke decided to move first. He jumped into the air, leaving Naruto to stare at him on the ground with narrowed eyes.

"Fireball Jutsu!" Sasuke yelled before inhaling more air than was required for breathing.

" **Why are you standing there? Do you want to turn into a pile of ash?** " Kurama scolded.

" _Can't I absorb it like the Chidori?"_ Naruto asked, watching the massive fireball advancing towards her direction.

 **"You really are so dense sometimes,"** Karuma deadpanned, hitting his face with the palm of his hand. " **No, you can't just spam the same Jutsu over and over. You need to recharge. Now quit stalling and dodge!"**

Naruto didn't need to be told twice. She performed a back flip to avoid the massive fireball. As soon as the fireball made contact with the ground, it shook the entire arena. Dust flew everywhere, and smoke rose to the ceiling from the gigantic crater on the ground.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto yelled, using the smoke in the arena to her advantage.

"What's the matter? Having trouble using the other Jutsu?" Sasuke mocked while engaging in combat with her clones.

" **He's testing you. He's starting to suspect the limits to your techniques,** " Kurama informed with a growl.

" _He's making quick work of my clones,"_ Naruto admitted with a frown.

If this Jutsu had a limit, then Naruto was toast once Sasuke used another Chidori.

" **But he's also running out of chakra. That Chidori doesn't look like it carries that much of a punch like the other one,"** Kurama observed.

" _I would personally not like another Chidori to the chest to test your theory. Thank you very much, "_ Naruto answered with a huff, causing Kurama to snort at her choice of words.

" **Of course not, baka. Hold out your hands and imagine pushing the Uchiha away. The Jutsu is Shinra Tensei**. **Secure your victory and put the Uchiha in his place,** " Kurama said.

" _Thanks, Kurama,"_ Naruto said with a smile before directing her attention to her opponent.

"I hope you enjoyed your free shot, Teme, because that's the only one you'll get," Naruto taunted, bringing her hands up. " Shinra Tensei!" She yelled, flexing her fingers upward.

Before the Jutsu took effect, small pebbles floated in the air then Sasuke started flying to the other side of the arena. Naruto's mouth dropped open, not knowing what she just did. The crowd shared her sentiment because they gasped at the turn of events. As soon as Sasuke hit the wall of the arena, the wall cracked by the force of impact. Sasuke let out a grunt from the pain before his body slid to the ground.

Seconds turned into minutes as everyone watched the prone Uchiha on the ground. He showed no signs of getting up, and the crowd was silent. They murmured to each other about the fight they just witnessed. Their reaction to the battle caused Naruto to smirk to herself. She loved breaking people's misconceptions about her. She wasn't called the most unpredictable ninja for not trying.

"The winner is Naruto Uzumaki!" Hayate called the final preliminary match, breaking the awkward silence.

Naruto's knees fell to the ground as her friends cheered. Her body was exhausted, and her eyes started to close. As her consciousness started to fade, she didn't hear the crowd gasp, nor the room become eerily quiet. She also missed the looks of confusion that the spectators shared before returning to look at her. The only thing Naruto heard before she became unaware was Sakura's unmistakable voice yelling, "Naruto's a girl?!"

* * *

Next: Naruto's tale

Excerpts subject to change:

"It's been a while Kabuto nii-san."

"I see you finally remember me, Naruto."

* * *

AN

I hoped you all liked it. I'm going to try and get the cover art to this story commissioned. This story will be a more realistic approach than the show. The majority of the plot holes will be answered in the next chapter. You will see a contrast how Naruto acts. Outwardly, she will be in character, but she does internalize things. Only with certain people will she reveal how she truly feels. Even though Naruto has the Rinnegan, she won't be overpowered. If she was overpowered then this story will only be 10 chapters long with no character development. The Rinnegan is an important plot device. I sort of hinted at it in this chapter but let's see if you all can figure it out before it really comes to play. Although I won't bash anyone in this fic, I will have certain people called out on their behavior. Thank you all for reading!


	2. Naruto's tale

Edited 8/16/2016

Note: There will still be no bashing in this fic.

* * *

Naruto woke up with a start. She winced at the sudden influx of pain. Kurama may have healed the main damage from the Chidori, but it didn't stop the bruises from accumulating during her fight with Sasuke. Reopening her eyes, she frowned, realizing she was in an unfamiliar room.

The sterile smell and the whiteness of the room were a dead giveaway that she was in the hospital. She made a mental note to thank Sasuke for putting her in this situation. She missed who she was up against in the final round of the Chunin exams. In the opposite plane, she could see Kurama resting on his legs. Maybe he could fill her in on what happened, and why she could still see him.

"Kurama," she called.

Kurama's ears twitched first before lifting his head, sleep evident in his eyes. He looked in Naruto's direction before yawning, revealing rows of his sharp teeth.

" **You're awake. How do you feel?"** He asked.

"Like I took a Chidori to the chest." Her joke caused his eyes to narrow. She coughed,deciding to change the subject. "How long was I out?"

He paused before answering. "I overheard that you were out for two days."

"Two days-" Naruto yelled, clutching her chest. The pain came back with a full force.

A normal person would have stayed in bed, but sitting still was never a trait Naruto mastered. _I can't believe I missed two days of valuable training, and I can't do anything until the bruising disappears_. She pouted at the thought.

" **I'll have you all fixed up in the morning. However, I must warn you. Everyone knows you're a girl."** Kurama explained, his tone grave.

She let his words sink in for a moment, waiting for the punch line.

"Very funny, Kurama. That was a good one." She laughed, wiping the tears from her eyes.

She looked to her companion hoping he betrayed a smile or a laugh, but she was met with silence.

"Okay, I get it. You're getting back at me for all the times I've messed with you." She said trying to get him to call off his joke.

She wrung her hands. The longer she met his serious gaze, her mood started to sober. He wasn't joking, and the reality of the situation hit her.

"What!"

Naruto shot out of the bed, but her foot tangled in the sheets, causing her to fall flat on her face. Why didn't this happened after the Chunin exams? She couldn't deal with all of the questions she knew that were going to be raised about her appearance. All she wanted to do was go through one normal day before anything went wrong. Kurama sauntered over to her direction and looked down on her fallen form. Her blue eyes pleaded with his red for an explanation.

" **I'm afraid that my Chakra, a chidori to the chest, and awakening the Rinnegan may have caused the seal to collapse,"** he said before sighing.

His explanation made sense. She exhausted almost all of her Chakra stores during the fight. The seal was dependent on Chakra to keep it steady. She hated to admit it to herself, but this was bound to happen sooner or later. Still, she was bothered by Kurama's words.

"What's the Rinnegan?" She asked, her eyes furrowed.

 **"Your eyes. You need to have both Uchiha and Senju blood to possess it. I think Orochimaru did something to you since it manifested,"** he said with a growl.

"Why would he give me a dojutsu?"

Naruto was sure that the snake Sannin wouldn't have given her a dojutsu out of the goodness of his heart. The bastard was sneaky and had an ulterior motive.

" **I reckon for the same reason he marked the Uchiha brat. I don't know. Why don't you ask him as you punch him in the face? Your life is going to get harder from here. I wouldn't be surprised if your village tried to marry you off. These tree huggers maybe capable of doing something like that,"** he said with a snort.

"Kurama, please. I don't even want to think about marriage. I need to worry about feeding myself such as going to Ichiraku's for some ramen," she said burying her face in-between her hands.

Naruto's life wasn't easy. Marriage was far from her mind.

" **I'm being serious and you bring up ramen."** He scoffed. " **You maybe thirteen, but I am being realistic."**

"I have a monster headache right now," she said, rubbing her head.

"I think I know what's causing it. I see a seal on your mind, but I can't remove it."

Naruto attributed the headache from the pain and stress, but Kurama's words caused her to raise an eyebrow.

"What type of seal?" She asked.

" **A memory seal. It's weak that's why I'm able to see it. Give me your Chakra, and I will direct it to the seal so we can destroy it,"** Kurama instructed.

She summoned her Chakra and concentrated. She could feel Kurama's Chakra merging with her own. A flash was seen behind her closed eyes. As soon as the seal shattered, images started to flood her mind. Her mind felt like it was being attacked. Closing her eyes did little to help the feeling. She was relieved when it ended.

"Did you see what I saw?" She asked. She blinked her eyes to fight the disorientation.

"Yes, this explains everything," Kurama said, his tone murderous.

Naruto didn't know if she felt angry as Kurama. Betrayed, yes. Angry not so much. The seal being placed on her took away her choice-her choice to choose. She never regretted Kurama being sealed inside her. She was treated differently, but she found a friend. This seal, on the other hand, made it seem like she was viewed as weak, as though she couldn't protect herself.

The sound of the door opening broke her from her thoughts. She noticed the tied, gray hair first before the slight glare of the glasses. They both stared at each other for a long while. Each refusing to speak. She knew why he was there.

"It's been a while Kabuto nii-san, " she greeted, causing the older boy to smile at her.

"I see you finally remember me, Naruto," he said.

She didn't know his motive. They weren't the same people now as they were eight years ago. Plus, his unwavering loyalty to Orochimaru made her wary of him.

"Yes, you tried so hard to make me forget you. I understand though. You wouldn't want Orochimaru to find out you played a role in helping me escape. I wanted to thank you for your help. I didn't know I needed it back then, but thank you for risking your life for me. Why are you here?" She asked.

"I wanted to see if you were alright," he said.

"Even though I might not remember you?" She said, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Yes."

Her eyes roamed over him, taking in his appearance. He seemed older than she last remembered him. She frowned, seeing the hand behind his back. The posture wasn't what caught her eye, but the gleaming, black handle of a kunai did.

"If that were so, you wouldn't be armed. You were planning on killing me," she said.

"I was," he confirmed with a sheepish smile.

"Why did you save me years ago just to kill me now?" She asked, hoping he gave her a truthful answer.

She should have expected this to happen. The truth hurt. Kabuto was once a brother in her eyes. It's crazy how life could change a person. He looked away from her eyes as though he read her thoughts.

"When you were younger, Orochimaru injected you with different Uchiha genes, hoping that one would give you the Rinnegan," he explained.

Oh, she remembered all those needles and the pain. The man was sadistic in his pursuit of science. Once, she thought Orochimaru had her best interests at heart, but he saw her as a test subject.

"Why was I the perfect candidate?" She asked.

She thought that having the Kyuubi within her would have prevented her from having a dojutsu.

" He didn't think you were at first. I think he intended to use you for a different purpose until he found out you possess Senju blood," he said, running a hand through his hair.

' **Damn, I knew that bastard was sick,'** Kurama said, a growl in his throat.

"He was hoping that the combination of Senju and Uchiha blood would awaken the Rinnegan," she mused, remembering Kurama's words.

"Yes, that was his plan. Unfortunately, he planned on going through drastic means to try and awaken it. First, by blood replacement therapy. Later, he wanted to resort to unawakened Sharingan eye transplants and other grotesque experiments to get what he wanted." He finished, shaking his head at the memory.

"Yet, you saved me from that. Why?"

Naruto's blue eyes met his black. He opened his mouth a couple of times, hesitating to answer at first as though he was fighting some internal battle.

"I was a fresh recruit when I joined Orochimaru. Let's just say, I was weak back then when I watched his experiments. To answer your earlier question, Orochimaru plans on kidnapping you to steal your body," he admitted, clenching his hands at his side.

Naruto suspected that he hated to admit weakness. This was why he joined Orochimaru to help him become strong. By telling her this, he was betraying his master.

"Why would you go against your master's wishes?"

Her question caused him to let out a bitter laugh.

"I guess I'm still the weak man you met years ago."

"I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I can protect myself," she admitted.

"I'll take your word for it. I guess this is where we must part ways," he said, sheathing his kunai and making his way to the door.

He saved her in the past, and now he continued to watch her back. She owed him for his help.

"I won't say anything today about your affiliations, Kabuto. Just so you know. The next time we meet, I won't hold back either. This village is under my protection," she warned, causing him to stop.

He stood in his spot for several seconds before looking at her over his shoulder.

"I would be disappointed if you did," he said before walking out the door.

" **I still don't like him. I don't know why you have a soft spot for everyone, especially with our enemies,"** Kurama said.

"I still don't understand Kabuto's motives, but he did protect me,"she said, earning a snort from her companion.

Kurama thought her naïve. She liked to see the best in people, and he thought that Kabuto was going to betray her to Orochimaru.

She didn't have time to think as the door to her room opened. She saw the Hokage's hat first before the beaming face of her surrogate grandfather.

"Naruto-chan, I'm glad to see you are well," Sarutobi said.

"Hello, jiji." Her smile matched his own before falling when she saw her jonin instructor.

"Kakashi- sensei," she greeted.

Even though Kakashi was her instructor, she didn't trust him with her well-being. She didn't think he had her best interest at heart because he tended to favor Sasuke over her. That favoritism almost got her killed.

"You gave us quite the scare in the preliminary matches. Your friends are waiting outside. We didn't want to let them in because we didn't want them to overwhelm you if you were sleeping," the Hokage informed.

"Are you sure the real reason isn't to find out how I got this?" She asked, pointing to her eyes.

She wanted to know if she was talking to the Hokage or her grandfather. Kakashi's presence meant she was dealing with the former. She was surprised the Hokage didn't make a comment of her appearance seal dropping.

"Well, I wanted to see how you are," he said.

"That maybe true, but you're also the Hokage. Any secrets that are in the village you want to know about them," she said, causing the Hokage to flinch.

Her smile was a way to hide what she felt. It took years of practice for her to master her smile, and it seemed to come to her defense, no matter how she was feeling.

" **Way to call the old man out. Get the one-eyed pervert out of the room. He doesn't need to hear your secrets." Kurama laughed.**

"Oh come on, Naruto. I do care about you. I know I haven't made the best decisions such as hiding your gender to the rest of the village, but I did have your best interests at heart," Sarutobi corrected.

The Hokage knew about her defense mechanism, and he was trying to prevent her from shutting him out. She wondered if he was going to pull the Hokage card if she refused to tell him information.

"Why the subterfuge? Why didn't I know about her gender?" Kakashi said, his shoulders drooping.

"Don't be mad at Sarutobi-jiji. I told him not to tell you. Only a handful of people has my trust. Don't take this personally, dog-san," she defended the Hokage.

Her smile widened when she saw the shock in his eyes. She once looked up to him in his Anbu days. Time ruined her memory of him because she was disappointed in the man he became, if Dog was indeed his Anbu name.

"Why did you refer to me as my Anbu name? Those days are long behind me," he asked.

"I wanted to see if that was you. Interesting. Even though you helped me once, Karuma doesn't trust you," she informed.

"Who's Kurama?" The Hokage asked, frowning.

"The Kyuubi no Kitsune," she said.

"You can speak to the nine-tails?" The Hokage asked, his mouth hanging open.

"Ever since I was six," she said.

"I don't like the idea that you confide in the fox. So, it seems like there was more to your kidnapping than meets the eye. I wonder what happened to allow you to find out about your status as a Jinchuuriki," the older man said, crossing his arms and pursing his lips.

The older man was troubled that she could speak to the demon that almost razed the entire village to the ground. Talking about the kidnapping would ease his mind about Kurama and tell him about Orochimaru.

"Speaking of that event, I would like to speak to you," she said before her eyes landed on Kakashi, "privately."

"Naruto, you're on my team. I can help you," he said,hanging his head.

She knew Kakashi would have picked up on her words. The man wasn't stupid.

"Sorry, to tell you this, Kakashi-sensei, but I don't trust you much either," she said.

Her teacher flinched at her words. She felt a little guilty when she thought self-loathing overtake his features.

"Naruto, that was uncalled for," Sarutobi scolded.

"I just don't feel comfortable talking to him about this," she muttered under her breath, avoiding the eyes of the two men.

"Naruto, I held back telling him about your gender at your request. Since you're on his team, I think your team dynamic will work better if you tell him about what happened to you. You cannot go through life not trusting people, " the Hokage said.

"It worked out well for me for eight years. Besides, he never bothered gaining my trust before. Why does he suddenly want to get teacher of the year?" She looked at the man in question, folding her arms in front of her chest as she awaited his answer.

"I've always cared about your well-being," he said, his eyes pleading for her understanding.

She wished that Kakashi left. He was starting to annoy her. Did he honestly think she would fall for his lies? His actions were a stark contrast to his words.

"I find this highly unlikely. Don't you have to teach Sasuke more dangerous Jutsus or something? Shouldn't you work on finding another substitute trainer for Sakura and myself?" She said, dismissing him with a wave of her hand.

Her teacher flinched at the accusation, and the older man looked at her appalled.

"Naruto, I don't want to use my position to force you to stand down," Sarutobi warned, his voice laced with barely controlled patience.

If the Hokage was angry, then her behavior was reprehensible. She felt guilty at her actions.

"Of course, Hokage-sama," she said before looking at her teacher."I'm sorry. That was uncalled for."

"If you didn't feel that way, you wouldn't have said it in the first place," he said, breaking eye contact after sending her a long, pained look.

Naruto felt horrible when she heard the self-deprecation in his voice. She didn't know the man's history, but she should have better control of her emotions. Maybe she misjudged her teacher. If this was the case, then she decided to take the Hokage's advice and let him in. _I hope I can trust him._ She let out a sigh at the thought.

"You both might want to sit down because this tale is long. Let me start from the beginning on the night of my fifth birthday," Naruto began her tale.

* * *

 _Konohagakure, 5 years after the Kyuubi's sealing_

She didn't know how long she was running. After she put as much distance between herself and Konoha, she sat on a rock. Tiredness did nothing to stop the tears from flowing as Konaha stood in the distance. Music surrounded the night air. Laughter echoed for miles. Lights of many colors were strung around booths. Every year on the anniversary of the Kyuubi's defeat, the village of Konoha would hold a festival. As Naruto grew up, she used to be fascinated with the decorations and wanted to partake in the food and games, only to be turned down. Now that it was her fifth birthday, she wondered why no one ever celebrated with her. Why did the parents refuse to let their kids play with her? Why did the villagers look at her with scorn? For years, these questions plagued her mind, and she decided to do everyone a favor and leave.

 _It's not like anyone will miss me_. She cried some more at the thought.

"Why the sad face?" A slithery voice broke her from her thoughts.

She looked up to see a man with pale skin and reptilian eyes, staring down at her. He was looking at her with concern, but his eyes were staring at her, taking in her appearance.

"I left my village. No one cares for me there," she said, wiping at her eyes with her right hand.

"What is your name, child?" He asked.

"Naruto Uzumaki."

Her admission caused his eyes to widen before his tongue licked his lips.

"Come with me, Naruto. I will offer you a home and a family," he said, offering his hand out for her to take.

She stared at his hand. She narrowed her eyes before bringing her knees close to her body and hiding her face.

"Why would you do that? No one wants me," she said.

She had to tell him the truth. No one would ever want her. She wanted him to leave her alone to her suffering.

"I want you because you are special to me," he said.

His words caused her to look up. He was smiling down at her, and she didn't see the lie in his face.

"Really?" She asked, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Yes, so how about we go home?"

Home. She had always wanted a place to call home. This was the first time she felt wanted. She didn't hesitate to take his hand.

* * *

Naruto didn't know how much time had passed since she took Orochimaru's offer. All she knew that taking his hand brought physical pain. He would inject her with needles and some caused her blood to burn or make her very sick. A cold, wet cloth was brought to her forehead. Her eyes closed as it soothed her pain.

"Kabuto-nii is so kind, " Naruto said, smiling at her brother figure.

Every time she got hurt, Kabuto comforted her and patched her wounds. He would even tell her stories of the other ninja villages.

"I want to be like you one day," she said as he wrapped her arm.

She got a huge scratch from a kunai that was thrown at her by a trap. Orochimaru made her go through his course after he gave her an injection. She had yet to know what the older man wanted.

Kabuto paused his ministrations and his smile wavered.

"Trust me ,Naruto. You don't want to be like me. I'm not a good person."

She frowned at his words. How could nii-san not think himself kind? He sacrificed his time for her. She wanted to be a ninja like him.

"No, you're a good person because I know you won't ever hurt me," she said, beaming at him.

"Thank you, Naruto," he said before placing a kiss on her forehead.

* * *

Naruto was still oblivious of the time that passed, the longer she stayed with Orochimaru. Overtime, the training regimens got worse. The amount of injections she received increased. The sound of water dripping woke her from her pain induced sleep. Lifting up an arm, she watched the water droplets fall down. _That's strange why am I in water?_ Lifting herself from the ground, she saw she was surrounded by water.

" **Finally. It took me forever to reach you," a gruff voice said, causing her to jump.**

She screamed when blood-red eyes met her own. The creature revealed rows of pointed teeth. Its body was massive and the air became heavy. "Are you going to eat me?" She asked, her body cowering.

Power radiated from the creature. She didn't know what it was, but she knew it could kill her.

" **No, brat. I'm going to help you escape,"** he said, his tone irritated.

"Why would you help me?"

The creature made a horrible monster if it was going to help her. She didn't think she needed help.

" **You're my Jinchuuriki. If you die, I die . If you stay here any longer, you will die from Orochimaru's hands,** " the creature warned.

"What is a jin-jinjuriki?" She asked, her eyes narrowing.

 **"Jinchuuriki,"** he corrected before he continued. " **I am the Kyuubi no Kitsune, and you're my container. I'm going to protect you from this Orochimaru."** She was going to protest, he interrupted her. " **Despite what you b** **elieve, that weirdo doesn't care about you. Those experiments of his are going to get you killed. Now, listen carefully. We need to come up with a way for us to escape."**

* * *

A few days after Naruto's initial meeting with Kurama, she had been scouting Orochimaru's base under Kurama's guidance. He wanted to know the layout so they could come up with a couple of escape plans. She didn't question him because Orochimaru became more brutal. The training made her more exhausted than usual. Here she was, a few days later, passed out on her bed.

She grunted at the sensation of someone shaking her on the shoulder. She was still fast asleep and rolled over on her side. Her eyes furrowed at the loud noises trying to rouse her from sleep.

"Naruto."

Her name being called roused her.

She rubbed her eyes. The figure in front of her materialized as her grogginess faded. It was Kabuto.

"Nii-san?" She asked, her voice filled with worry.

She wondered why he was in her room. That's when she became alert to the situation. The base intruder alarms were active.

"Come on, Naruto-chan. We need to get you out of here," Kabuto said, grabbing her arm to guide her out of the room.

" **I didn't see this coming. Huh, Orochimaru's minions aren't entirely soulless after all,"** Kurama said. **  
**

Naruto didn't have time to respond because she was too busy following after Kabuto. She didn't say anything because he brought his index finger to his lips. She knew she could trust him in keeping her safe. The sound ninja were running around the base, looking for an unknown opponent. Orders were yelled around the base. At one point, Kabuto had her backed up against a wall to avoid being seen by sound ninja.

What was going on?

She lost track of time as they left the Sound Village. They walked for miles and passed many trees. The sun was halfway in the sky. A nearby town was visible from the forest clearing they exited. In the distance, a carriage awaited on the bottom of the hill at the entrance of the town. She looked at Kabuto and saw his gaze land on the carriage. Letting out a heavy sigh, he turned his attention towards her.

"Before we go, there is one last thing I need to do." Before she had time to ask what he meant, Kabuto yelled,"Memory erasing seal!" He formed a tiger seal and slammed his hand on the ground.

An intricate seal formed on the ground, erasing her memories of the events.

* * *

Next: Coming to terms

Excerpts subject to change.

"Naruto why did you suddenly turn into a girl?" Sakura asked.

"Well, I wouldn't say I turned into a girl because I was always a girl. I guess the question you should ask is why I'm not a boy," Naruto quipped with a cheeky grin.

* * *

The memory erasing seal came from one of the Naruto movies.

I wanted to thank you all for your support so far! Your enthusiasm and support makes me ensured that I will finish the story in its entirety. I want to personally thank all the guest reviewers, who I can't pm personally. Even though I can't pm back, I do want to thank you for taking the time to review. Also, fanfiction is acting up and I can't thank the tenth reviewer or see what it says, but I wanted to thank you for taking the time to review. To be honest, I thought this story was going to be worse than my original that's why I was hesitant to post it. I am glad I didn't put it off any longer. To show my appreciation, I got the coverart for this story commissioned. I will share it with you all as soon as I get it. I am trying to update this story regularly- every other week along with my Once Upon a Time story, but I will also be updating my others which haven't been done in a year. I'm also spending some time writing a novel series but it doesn't mean this story will be abandoned. Until next time, dearies!


	3. Disappointments

After Naruto finished her tale, silence greeted her. Sarutobi wore a grave expression on his face. Kakashi covered his free eye with his hand, his fingers rubbed across his forehead. The two men acted out of character.

Naruto couldn't bear staring at them any longer. Her hands became interesting to her eyes. The beeping heart monitor broke the heavy silence in the room every few seconds. Throughout her tale, she left out Kabuto's name as promised. Instead, she referred to him as a spy. She would deal with him if he decided to attack the village.

Sarutobi responded first with a tone mirroring his old age.

"This answers my question to why your Henge dropped when you returned to us. The villagers didn't know your identity. Your ragged appearance mistakened your identity as a refugee from a warring village."

"It's alright, jiji. I'm here now," Naruto said with a smile.

Her soothing attempts failed to wipe the sorrowful look off the old Hokage's face.

A gasp caught Naruto's attention. Kakashi's head shot up from his ponderings, his sole gaze landing on her.

"You mentioned a person helped you escape. Perhaps, if we-"

"That won't do. He's still loyal to Orochimaru." Naruto interrupted the one-eyed ninja.

Kabuto made it clear where his loyalties lied. All their endeavors persuading Kabuto to defect would be fruitless.

"How can you say that? He saved you." Kakashi said, his sole eye narrowing.

From Kakashi's look, Naruto had to tread carefully with how she answered his question. Otherwise, she would fail protecting Kabuto.

Naruto threw her teacher a sardonic grin. "I think he was feeling guilty."

Kakashi accepted her answer if he stopped his interrogation. She still had the Hokage to deal with on the other hand.

"If there was a seal on you, how did you break it?" Sarutobi asked.

Naruto let out a heavy sigh. These relentless questions drained her.

"Kurama told me that he noticed the seal weakening when I woke up. He helped me break it."

Sarutobi nodded, finding the logic in her words.

"Most A rank seals weaken over time or fail when too much Chakra get used. This isn't good regardless." The Hokage shook his head before continuing." I had hoped Orochimaru played no role in your kidnapping. If he finds out you have the Rinnegan, you will be targeted."

The old man's shoulders sagged after his statement. Naruto's smile fell at his words. He reaffirmed what Kabuto said. Will the Anbu monitor her until Orochimaru got caught?

"Can you try shutting it off?" Kakashi asked, breaking her out of her musings.

Naruto had to resist smacking herself on the head. Why hadn't she tried stopping the Chakra flowing to her eyes? She shook her head. She could scold herself after the Chunin exams. First, she had to deal with her problem.

Naruto closed her eyes. Bringing her fingers together, the Chakra prickled behind her eyes. When she reopened them, Sarutobi shook his head.

"I'm afraid the Rinnegan is permanent. There's no hiding it. The only thing we can do is keep how you obtained it an S- ranked secret. Do you know what the Rinnegan is?" Sarutobi asked.

Naruto put a hand under her chin and her eyes squinted in concentration. Where had she heard this story before? Naruto snapped her fingers as a thought came to mind.

"Didn't the wielder live a long time ago?" She asked with a smile.

She made a new record in answering a question in thirty seconds.

Kakashi deadpanned. "If by long ago, you mean centuries."

Sarutobi threw her a fond smile. "They once belonged to the Sage of the Six Paths."

"Oh, he was super strong! Since I have the same eyes, I'm super awesome."

Naruto almost shot out of her bed in excitement. Her cheeks strained over the biggest smile growing on her face. She beat Sasuke-teme by having the best dojutsu in existence.

"Naruto, having a special dojutsu doesn't make you powerful. You must learn its strengths and weaknesses like every other ninja," her jiji chided.

 **"** **I agree with the old flesh-bag. That line of thinking would get you killed in a heartbeat, brat."** Kurama snorted.

Naruto pouted at Kurama's and Sarutobi's words. She looked up after feeling a gentle squeeze on her shoulder. The Hokage smiled at her with affection.

"I'm afraid you're going to have to learn about it on your own through training," Sarutobi began before addressing Kakashi."I'm sure Kakashi-kun will help you realize your potential."

Kakashi nodded, eye crinkling in a smile, before placing a gloved hand over her blond head.

"I promise you, Naruto, I'll help you figure this out," he said, ruffling her hair.

Naruto's heart leapt at his statement. For the first time in her life, her sensei acknowledged her to be worthy of his training. Her voice failed her, so she nodded in reply.

Sarutobi's voice broke her from her musings.

"I need to schedule an emergency defense meeting. Thanks to your tale, I fear Orochimaru has infiltrated our gates already with his affiliation with the Sound ninja." He sighed and rested his hand on the door handle. "Be vigilant, Naruto."

As soon as Sarutobi opened the door, almost all the Konaha Eleven forced their way into the hospital room and fell to the ground.

"I guess I will leave you with your friends," Sarutobi said before chuckling and walking over the fallen Kiba and Choji as he left.

"Later, Naruto." Kakashi left the room, flicking his fingers away from his head in a two-finger salute.

 _Traitors,_ Naruto called the two retreating men.

Naruto returned her gaze, meeting the expectant gazes of her peers. She didn't know how it was possible, but her day suddenly got longer.

* * *

Naruto would rather take a Tora the cat mission over a confrontation with her peers. Their looks ranged from hurt, amused to irritated.

"Naruto, why did you suddenly turn into a girl?" Sakura asked, her voice lower than Naruto expected. Naruto guessed Sakura's controlled tone was out of respect to the hospital setting. In any other setting, Naruto would kiss her hearing goodbye.

Her peers nodded after Sakura's question.

"Well, I wouldn't say I turned into a girl because I was always a girl. I guess the question you should ask is why I'm not a boy," Naruto quipped with a cheeky grin.

Naruto's attempt at trying to cut the awkward atmosphere fueled Sakura's ire.

"Is there someone you told that you're a girl?" Sakura asked before her eyes widened in horror. "You're a pervert, Naruto! You've been using the boy's bathroom this whole time!" She pointed an accusatory finger at Naruto.

"In her defense, she always went to the stall every time I was there. I'd always assumed that she was taking constant dumps," Kiba said with a shrug.

Naruto's face burned at Kiba's statement while her friends' faces cringed with disgust.

"Thanks, Kiba. I'm glad I can count on you," Naruto said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Don't mention it," Kiba said with a smile, missing her sarcasm.

"I'm glad you don't have to hide, Naruto-chan," Hinata said. Naruto strained her ear to understand the soft-spoken voice.

"Hinata, you knew?" Sakura said, her voice laced with betrayal.

Hinata nodded, causing Sakura to open and close her mouth a few times.

"B-But." Sakura pointed from Hinata to Naruto, but words continued failing her. She took a deep breath to help her formulate her words. "You had a crush on her when she was a boy. Was that real?"

"Naruto came up with the prank. She said it would be priceless to see the look on everyone's face, if the truth ever came to light."

Naruto bursted out laughing remembering the conversation. Hinata approached her one day while she sat alone on a swing. The Hyuuga princess interrogated her about hiding her gender. Naruto relented and told her about the Hokage's order. Hinata promised to keep her gender a secret and the two remained best friends since.

"I couldn't have planned it better myself. You should've seen the looks on all of your faces." Naruto said, wiping a stray tear from her eye.

"All of the Hyuuga knew. It's kind of hard to hide. Her business was her own." Neji informed with a shrug.

Neji threw her a small smile and Naruto looked away, feeling uneasy. Hinata's cousin always acted odd. She shouldn't question it. Ino broke her from her musings.

"Now that it's established you're a girl, are you going to get rid of the orange at least?"

Ino eyed Naruto's jacket with disgust.

"What's wrong with orange? That's my favorite color!" Naruto pouted, looking down at her jacket.

Naruto's wardrobe consisted of a wonderful attire of orange. These kunoichi had no respect for the vibrant color of orange

Ino and Sakura shared a disbelieving look before the blond addressed her again.

"Please, let either Sakura or myself take you shopping."

"I'm going to take you shopping. Ino-pig has no style." Sakura said, leaving no room for argument.

"At least I was being polite and have her choose, forehead." Ino said, getting into Sakura's space.

"So…who am I up against?" Naruto said to break Sakura's and Ino's verbal sparring match.

Naruto missed the announcement of her opponent. At least one of the eight, present in the room, knew who she was up against.

"That scary kid from the Sand Village," Kiba said, his face crinkling in disgust.

"Troublesome if you ask me," Shikamaru said, his hands resting in his pants pockets.

Naruto's face fell at the news and she shivered. In a different time, she would jump at the chance at fighting Gaara.

 **"** **At least you have a worthy foe."** Kurama said before resting on his legs.

 _"_ _I don't have a Jutsu in my arsenal to take him on_."

Kurama rolled his eyes at her statement **. "Well, that's what your sensei is for."**

Naruto broke out into a large grin at his words. She forgot about Kakashi. With his help, she would have a fighting chance.

"About your dojutsu-"

Sakura was interrupted by the door opening. A medic-nin walked in and shook his head when his eyes landed on the crowd in Naruto's room.

"Okay, children. I need to take Naruto-san's vitals before she can check out. She can find you all later. "

After the Genin left the room, the medic-nin directed his gaze towards Naruto.

"Hello, Naruto. My name is Iyashi. I need to check a few things before you're free to go."

At Naruto's nod, he approached.

"Please, lie down on the bed."

As soon as Naruto lied down, Iyashi held a hand over her belly. His hand became engulfed in green Chakra, likely a medical Justsu.

"You and Sasuke did a number to each other. " Iyashi said as he worked.

"It felt like it," Naruto said with a laugh.

A Chidori to the chest was hard to forget. Iyashi tsked at her words.

"He's walking with a slight limp, and Kakashi wouldn't let me treat Sasuke at all," Iyashi informed with disapproval.

Why would Kakashi not let Sasuke receive medical attention? What didn't Kakashi tell her?

"There's nothing alarming. Well, it looks like you are good to go."

Iyashi's dismissal broke Naruto from her thoughts. As soon as he removed the heart cuff from Naruto's arm, Naruto shot up from the bed and ran out of the door. She had to start her training.

* * *

Naruto ran passed vendor stalls as she made her way to find her target. The sun stood high in the sky. If Naruto decided to take a short respite, she could fit several hours of training into the day.

"Naruto."

Naruto's feet skidded to a halt at the sound of her name. Turning around she saw Neji and Hinata standing together. Frowining, Naruto approached the duo.

"Do you want to have lunch with us, Naruto-chan?" Hinata asked.

Naruto's brow furrowed. By "us" did Hinata refer to Neji as well?

Naruto turned her attention to the person in question.

"Are you joining us, Neji?"

"Yes, I've nothing else to do for the day," Neji said with a smile.

That smile was on the Hyuuga's face again. The smile he wore seemed alien compared to the condescending one he wore.

The Hyuugas in front of her laughed when Naruto's stomach rumbled. Well, she couldn't talk herself out of lunch. She could bear Neji's presence if lunch involved Ramen.

"How about Ramen?"

"Sure, how about noon?" Hinata asked with a smile.

"That works," Neji agreed.

Naruto crossed her arms, looking to the sky as a reminder to her schedule.

"Works for me. It gives me plenty of time to find Kakashi-sensei to work out a training schedule. I lost so much time already."

 **"** Two days aren't a lot," Hinata said.

Naruto gasped, her eyes widening. _Such blasphemy,_ she thought. She had to get out of the vicinity before Hinata's words rubbed off on her, and she procrastinated on her training.

"Are you kidding me? I could learn a new Jutsu in that time!" Naruto broke out into a run. "If I get side –tracked, please, come looking for me," she yelled over her shoulder.

* * *

The time, Naruto spent looking for Kakashi, eluded her. Naruto had to fight the urge to smack herself on the forehead when his lax profile grew as she drew closer to the memorial stone. Once, she attended training late to spy on the copy-nin. After discovering where he spent his time, she played along with Sakura's and Sasuke's ire when Kakashi made an excuse.

"Kakashi- sensei," Naruto called in the loudest voice she could muster, causing the one-eyed ninja to flinch. "Finally, I thought I was going to have to run all over the village looking for you."

Naruto slowed her pacing as soon as Kakashi turned around.

"Mah, you don't have to be so loud," he said while rubbing his ear. He put his hands in his pockets, his back hunching, before continuing. "Yo, what's up, Naruto?"

"Well… the finals are in a month…" Naruto looked down for a moment, staring at the ground to help her find her words. After gathering her thoughts, she smiled at him. "I was wondering when will be a good time to start training?"

Kakashi flinched at the question, letting out a large exhale. Naruto's heart dropped when he started rubbing the back of his head and throwing her a guilty look.

"Naruto, I can't think about it at this moment," he said, his tone apologetic.

Naruto's hands clenched at her sides. Her shoulders started to shake. What possible reason did he have to blow her off? Did his words mean so little?

"Why can't you train me, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto said, restraining herself from yelling. Yelling at this point would disrespect the dead. "Sasuke-teme is out of the tournament. "

Sasuke better not be the reason Kakashi planned neglecting her. If he was, then she lost all hope in Kakashi.

"Sasuke needs to have control over the curse mark. If he overexerts himself, it will activate. He needs to learn his limits. I'm worried because the mark is making him unstable."

Naruto tuned out Kakashi's voice as soon as he mentioned Sasuke. He needed to understand that she needed him.

"Besides the Hyuuga clan, you're the only other person with a dojutsu. I don't even know what mine does." She pointed to her eyes for emphasis. " You heard what Sarutobi-jiji said. It has to be you."

Naruto debated begging her teacher to forget about Sasuke. She opened her mouth to begin her begging but decided against it. Kakashi wasn't going to take her seriously if she resorted to such tactics.

Kakashi sighed. "Naruto, if I don't keep him in check, he will go after Itachi or worse attack you again. I promise you that I will help you after I deal with Sasuke."

"You do remember who I'm up against? "

He nodded. "Sabaku no Gaara. "

"And do you remember what he did to Bushy Brows?" She waved her hands in an exaggerated manner. Kakashi opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off. "He broke his leg like a twig with sand. With sand, Kakashi-sensei! I didn't know it was possible to use it as a weapon. If he can make a wall of sand, I have no Jutsu in my arsenal to go through it," she said, her tone bordering desperation.

How could she make her teacher see reason? She jumped when a ninja landed beside her. Her eyes widened, recognizing the familiar profile.

"Oh, no. Not again."

Seeing Ebisu was a slap to her face. Kakashi had no intention on training her.

The man in question pushed his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose and begun to speak.

"Yes, It's I…Ebisu. I'm here to discuss your training."

Naruto shook her head. Ebisu was the worst answer to her predicament.

"You shoved me off to him?" Naruto said, gesturing to Ebisu beside her with her thumb. "He's weaker than me," she finished, her tone laced with betrayal.

Ebisu gasped, his right eye twitching after Naruto talked about him as though he wasn't there. "What! I have you know-"

Ebisu's every word fueled Naruto's ire.

"Close your eye, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto interrupted Ebisu.

"What?" Kakashi asked.

With a sigh, Naruto summoned a shadow clone to cover Kakashi's sole eye before grinning deviously at Ebisu.

"Remember this, Ebisu-sensei," Naruto said in a sing-song voice.

As soon Ebisu opened his mouth, Naruto made the hand signs for the Harem Jutsu. Naruto harrumphed when Kakashi flipped over her shadow clone after Ebisu passed out on the ground with a thud.

Kakashi glared at the shadow clone. After it popped, he directed his irate gaze in Naruto's direction. His sole eye widened seeing Ebisu sprawled out on the ground with a nose bleed.

"What did you do?" He asked while running a hand through his gravity-defying, silver hair. "You just lost valuable hours of training time," he chided.

Naruto scoffed at his tone. Kakashi had the nerve to berate her for putting Ebisu in his place.

"I showed you how capable he really is," Naruto said while inspecting her fingernails with interest.

"He helped you beat Sasuke, and I needed him to help you with your Chakra control until I'm able to help you," he said.

His tone fueled Naruto's anger. How dare Kakashi attempt to make her seem unreasonable.

"Please," Naruto scoffed. "I beat Sasuke out of dumb luck and the Kyuubi's guidance. We both know, that without the Kyuubi, I would've died. Besides, the only reason why my Chakra control sucks is due to..." Her hand drifted to her stomach where Orochimaru jabbed her with his fingers. Her fingers flexed at the reminder of the unbearable pain after he placed the seal.

"Naruto, what aren't you telling me?" Kakashi asked, bringing her back to the present.

Naruto shook her head, staring at the ground. She thought she could trust Kakashi, but he proved he didn't have her best interests at heart. He interacted with her because of an order. She fooled herself, thinking he would go out of his way to help her.

"I don't know why I even asked you. You always give the same answer. I want to clarify something, Kakashi-sensei." She looked up from the ground to stare into his sole eye, displaying hurt. She wouldn't falter. "When I defeat Gaara." She pointed to her chest. " I did it without your training or guidance, dattebayo!"

After speaking with such conviction, Kakashi flinched. Naruto snorted before walking away, leaving her teacher to wallow in whatever emotion he harbored while visiting the memorial stone.

"Naruto…"

Kakashi's voice dampened as Naruto walked away faster, hands clenching against her sides. Leaves crunching behind her caused her to break out into a run.

* * *

Naruto continued forward without direction. Kakashi gave up trailing after her several feet back. Her hand wiped against her face, leaving her hand damp.

"Stupid Kakashi-sensei," she muttered under her breath.

She cursed at the man for leaving her in this state. In Kakashi's eyes, Sasuke would always come first. Naruto resigned herself to her status on Team Seven. If she won the final exam, the lazy bastard was going to take credit for her success.

"Oh, Kakashi-san, you must be proud to have a skilled student. You trained her well." She said, mimicking a fawning spectator.

"Kakashi-sensei knows my secrets. The old man forced me to open up to Kakashi-sensei, but the man does nothing," Naruto said to herself.

Her hand rubbed over her face. She regretted her actions towards Ebisu. He tried to help her on Kakashi's request, but she took her anger out on him.

 **"** **You're being childish,"** Kurama chided.

"Well, it isn't my fault I have a liar for a teacher," Naruto said, bitterness in her tone.

 **"** **You didn't hear the man out. You should've told him about what Orochimaru did to you."**

Naruto fought the urge to cover her ears. Reason eluded her. Her emotions dictated her thoughts and actions.

"I didn't need Chakra control during the fight with Sasuke."

 **"** **Those techniques didn't require much control. Your sensei thought you lacked** **Chakra control. I didn't detect a lie when he said he would train you later."**

"You're imagining things. I hoped he was finally going to change for me," Naruto muttered under her breath before she mocked herself. "Haha, Naruto, the jokes on you-"

"Damn it," she swore when a dull pain shot across her foot. Looking down, a stump taunted her.

"Ow, that must've hurt," a voice said somewhere in front of her.

"Not as much as my pride. I had to run away from my sensei because he was being an ass," Naruto said before looking up.

The girl in front of her had short, brown hair, cradling her face. Purple stripes lined both sides of her face. The girl appeared a few years older than Naruto. Why were her brown eyes wide?

"You can see me?" The girl asked.

"Yeah, you're standing right there." Naruto raised an eyebrow, thinking the girl was odd. "I'm talking to you," Naruto reminded, gesturing to the space between them with her hand.

 **"** **Who are you talking to, Naruto?"**

Kurama would make a good actor. She almost believed his confused tone.

 _"_ _The girl standing in front of me,"_ Naruto said, playing along.

 **"** **No, I think you are talking to yourself like always** ," Kurama said, his tone irritated.

Naruto's eyes narrowed at the jab. Kurama's eyes narrowed at her in response. He wasn't joking. Kurama couldn't see the girl but why?

Naruto looked again at the girl standing in front of her _. "What do you mean? How can you miss her? She looks like Kiba, you stupid fox."_

Someone shouted in the distance. Looking up, Hinata and Neji waved to get her attention.

"Crap, I forgot about lunch," Naruto said to herself before looking at the new girl. "Sorry, I've to go and thank you for listening to me vent." Naruto ran a few paces forward before she stopped, realizing her rudeness. "I'm sorry. I never got your name."

"It's Rin," Rin said with a small smile.

"Nice to meet you, Rin. I'm Naruto," Naruto said before breaking out into a run to meet her friends.

* * *

Next: The Ero-Sennin

* * *

Hi Everyone! I wanted to thank you all for your support of this story. I was blown away from the reception. I felt so bad that I haven't updated since May. I got lost on the road of life so to speak, literally. Grad school is a beast filled with drama and other stresses. Plus Final Fantasy XV came out. I decided to fuse two short chapters in one because of the lack of content I left you all with. I hope I can update regularly to finish this forty chapter story.


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